Imagine buying a brand new Lincoln Continental or BMW or Cadillac. Think about how it purrs, about the lush seats, the special smell of that new car.



What would you suppose would happen if you decided not to have your car serviced for 100,000 miles or maybe every ten years? Whatever happens in your car in terms of wear and performance, happens in your sewing machine.

Your sewing machine requires regular service at least once a year. If you have completed a sewing machine repair course, you may even do your own. The more you use your machine, the more often it will need to be serviced.

Since many top of the line sewing machines today also do embroidery and many sewers have stand alone embroidery machines, it is important to remember these machines may require more frequent care. The same rule applies. For average use of say ten hours per week, service it at least once a year or service it for every one million embroidery stitches.

If you do a lot of sewing with linty fabrics, you need to have your machine serviced more frequently. If you use your sewing machine professionally, it will require more frequent sewing machine service.

A recent national survey of sewing machine repair shops revealed a wide range of charges. A standard tune up in more rural areas might run as low as $79.95, but in a city shop you might find prices starting at as much as $150.00. Repairs and parts are always extra.

You can pay the price and have a pro service your sewing machine every few months, or you could learn how to maintain it between tune ups yourself. You could take a sewing machine repair course and learn the ins and outs of sewing machine repair. Then every several months you could do your own sewing machine repair. Think of how much money you could save. Still, you can save by learning just how to maintain your machine at home.

You can learn how to service your own sewing machine. You can take a sewing machine repair course and learn all the details. Or, you could just keep costs down by properly maintaining your sewing machine. Here are a few simple steps that you can do in just a few minutes that will keep your sewing machine operating at peak performance for months and months.

Step one: Change your needle frequently. Change it every other project or every three to four sewing hours. The cost of needle is minor. Dont you deserve to sew with a new needle and save the headaches?

Second, Throw junk thread away. Refuse to use them. Linty cotton covered polyester threads are a disaster. They fill you machine with fine powdery fibers that get mixed with the oils and grease. They can harden into a substance as hard a concrete. Instead, demand quality threads. Use long fiber top quality threads on every project. It will save problems.

Step three: Keep your sewing machine away from direct sunlight, high moisture area, highly variable temperatures, and dust. Keep your sewing machine clean, dry, and protected from extreme temperatures. Frequently clean the surfaces of the sewing machine with moist cloth only.

Fourth, clean out the bobbin area every two to three hours of sewing. Dirt, grit, lint, and grime collect inside the bobbin area creating potential for big problems. If you are sewing with linty threads or fabrics, clean out the bobbin area even more often. Keep it clean. Take out your bobbin and carrier as needed. Then you can use a vacuum cleaner with special attachments, a can of compressed air (do not tilt when using), or an air compressor remove the lint. Use a small brush to loosen any debris.

Step five: Place one drop of pure clean sewing machine oil along the hook race every two to three hours. Drop one drop of oil on to the race. The movement of the hook will spread the oil. Replace all parts previously removed.

Sixth, clean out the needle bar area. On some machines you will need to remove a cover or open a door. Frequently, threads will get wrapped around the levers in this area and cause problems. Using tweezers you can usually remove them without too much trouble. Like your bobbin area, you can blow it out and brush away any debris.

Seven: Place one drop of oil on joints between any metal to metal parts and one on the needle bar.

This completes the basic consumer home service. Diligently perform this seven step home service, and you will significantly prolong the life of their sewing machine. You will also reduce your costs of professional sewing machine repair. The sewing machine will also operate more smoothly and dependably for many years. If you enjoy doing this consumer service, you might want to investigate a good sewing machine repair course and save even more.